Friday, June 28, 2013

In no particular order, my top five favorite moments from this season of Mad Men (and don't worry, in case you're living under a rock in Utah and haven't seen this season yet, none of these are plot-relevant spoilers):

1. Roger juggling oranges. How did this even happen? Did he approach the directors and say, "you know, I can juggle, in case you ever wanted to use that"?

2. Cosgrove tap-dancing. Same thing as the juggling act. Surely the scriptwriters didn't write a tapdancing scene only to find out that Aaron Staton really can tapdance with more flair than a roomful of Arthur Duncans? This must have been something they've been looking for an excuse to work in for some time.

3. The whole office takes speed. I can't condone such things, of course, but it was hilarious.

4. The "conquistador" speech. "We are conquistadors, Don. I'm Vasco Da Gama, and you're..... some other Mexican. Our biggest challenge is to not get syphilis."

5. Hawaii. Since the Tiki era of the 50s and 60s hadn't really been addressed in the show yet, they made up for lost time by sending Don and Megan to Hawaii. So powerful is Hawaii's sway, just watching the characters be there put me in a transcendental state of rum-soaked bliss. (Not to mention Jessica Pare in a bikini.)

Bonus: Bob Benson. There's no doubt that the appearance of mysterious new character Bob Benson is what really made this season. Every moment he's onscreen, there's a palpable air of unease and paranoia, and yet also something inspiring and restimulating that I cannot yet put my finger on. And, typically for Mad Men, the season ended with us knowing Bob even less than we did going in. Producer Matthew Weiner has stated he's not even 100% sure if Bob Benson returns next season. Say it ain't so!

Who are Cheeseburger & Fries?

In the 20th century's decline, Mssrs. Dockery and Holland made thousands of lowbrow recordings under the street-busking name of "Cheeseburger & Fries", and bemused audiences in Kentucky bars, clubs and coffee houses with their confrontational performances. Today Cheeseburger & Fries are still at large, "active as an atom in the moonlight", as Sexton Ming once said.